Huangfu Yuchen and Yan Ge pondered for a moment.
“How about this? You release one person first. After I give you the cross, you release the other person,” Yan Ge suggested.
William furrowed his brow. He felt that there was some scheme involved, but the cross was of great significance to those who cultivated holy power. He was reluctant to give it up. At this moment, the grudges and humiliations he had suffered from the two seemed insignificant. The cross held a much greater meaning to him.
Then a thought crossed his mind: What if Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen cared for only one of the two captives? Otherwise, why would Yan Ge suggest releasing one. However, the information he had gathered couldn’t possibly be false. He knew that He Yan Ge cared little for his family and cared most about a few good friends. He Xin and Xu Kai were two of them.
Thinking that he could use his escape technique once more, William nodded. “Fine.” He then lifted Xu Kai and tossed him over.
Huangfu Yuchen raised his hand and used his true qi to support Xu Kai, placing him on the ground.
Xu Kai remained unconscious, completely unaware of the ordeal he had experienced over the past few days.
Yan Ge threw the cross over.
William’s eyes lit up with joy as he flew into the air and caught the cross. He glanced at Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen before tossing He Xin over. At the same time, he seemed to disappear, becoming invisible. Although he had considered crushing He Xin to vent his hatred, he feared that doing so would make Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen pursue him in anger. Considering their formidable strength, he decided to release He Xin.
Yan Ge caught He Xin.
Huangfu Yuchen leaped into the air, took a few steps, and with a forceful strike of his right palm, a figure appeared in the air. The figure plummeted from the sky and crashed straight down to the ground.
William was bleeding from his seven orifices. He twitched a couple of times, kicked his legs twice, and ceased to breathe.
Huangfu Yuchen retrieved the cross and stowed it in his storage ring. This object could not fall into the hands of the Holy See. Afterward, he summoned the Threefold Fiery Flames to incinerate William completely.
The two lifted He Xin and Xu Kai, returned to the outskirts of the capital city, then retrieved a cross-country vehicle from Yan Ge’s space.
Yan Ge placed his palms on He Xin’s and Xu Kai’s lower abdomen and infused a small amount of true qi into them to help their weakened bodies recover. He Xin and Xu Kai were both ordinary people, so he didn’t dare infuse too much energy.
The two quickly regained consciousness and looked up at the blue sky with confusion. Then they saw Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen and quickly sat up.
“What’s going on? Why am I here?” He Xin looked confused. He had been unconscious for too long, and his brain couldn’t turn around for a while. He stared at Yan Yan blankly, unable to remember what happened before.
Xu Kai looked around in bewilderment, then touched his stomach. “Yan Ge, what’s going on? I’m so hungry…”
“Me too,” He Xin chimed in and their stomachs growled in response. At this point, they were starting to wake up, gazing at Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen with a mix of bewilderment and curiosity.
Yan Ge chuckled, feeling both amused and guilty. This time, He Xin and Xu Kai had suffered unnecessarily due to him and Huangfu Yuchen. William had likely kept them alive to make sure they didn’t die, but he probably hadn’t provided them with food or water.
He patted both of them on the shoulder. “It’s a long story. All in all, you two got caught up in our mess. Let’s go, I’ll take you to eat. We’ll talk after we’ve had our meal.”
Due to their trust in Yan Ge, neither He Xin nor Xu Kai raised any objections.
The group got into the car, and Huangfu Yuchen took the wheel. Yan Ge retrieved two loaves of bread from the compartment and handed them to He Xin and Xu Kai. “Fill your stomachs with these for now.”
The two were indeed famished. They didn’t have time to ask about the situation yet; they needed to eat first.
Yan Ge also handed them each a bottle of water.
After finishing the bread and drinking most of the water, Xu Kai and He Xin finally began to recover.
Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen had deliberately landed not far from the farm, so they arrived at the farm shortly after.
The group entered a private room, and Yan Ge instructed Xu Kai and He Xin to order food. Then, he made calls to the Xu and He families to let them know they were back.
Xu Kai and He Xin were both intelligent individuals. Hearing how he had come up with the excuse of the “Mysterious Travel Group,” they knew that whatever had happened to them was definitely not trivial. Filled with curiosity and an inexplicable excitement, they felt that something incredible might be about to occur.
Yan Ge ended the call, smiled at the somewhat uneasy duo, and took a seat next to Huangfu Yuchen. “Both of you haven’t eaten for several days. Normally, you shouldn’t indulge too much during your first meal, but I have some pills with me, so you can eat without worries. Just tell me whatever you want to eat.”
“Yan Ge, what’s really going on?” Xu Kai asked curiously.
Huangfu Yuchen patted Yan Ge’s shoulder. “Since they’re not hungry, let’s discuss the matter at hand.”
“We’re hungry, but even more curious,” He Xin said as he picked up two large peaches from the fruit platter and tossed one to Xu Kai.
Xu Kai nodded and took a big bite without any concern for manners. “Let’s start with some fruit. The main dishes will take a while to arrive.”
Yan Ge shrugged and explained the reason for the situation, and revealed their identities as cultivators.
Both Xu Kai and He Xin were trustworthy individuals.
“So, the two of you got caught up in this mess entirely because of me and Yuchen. I’m sorry, brothers. Luckily, both of them are fine. Otherwise, I might have had to make amends through drastic measures.”
“Cultivators really exist!” He Xin’s eyes widened in shock, his expression stunned. The peach he had been eating slipped from his hand onto his leg and then rolled onto the ground.
Xu Kai fared even worse, choking on a piece of peach. He coughed violently, realizing that Yan Ge had scheduled the conversation after the meal to prevent them from choking to death.
Huangfu Yuchen slapped Xu Kai’s back, helping the piece of peach move down his throat.
Xu Kai and He Xin stared at him and Yan Ge with wide eyes, forgetting about their peaches. “So, you two must have achieved a high level of cultivation now. Can you fly?”
Yan Ge nodded.
“Really? Yan Ge, take your brother for a flight!” Xu Kai exclaimed excitedly as he stood up.
Huangfu Yuchen was speechless, and shook his head. Seeing that Xu Kai and He Xin held no intention of blaming Yan Ge, he felt relieved. He picked up the teapot and poured them both a cup of tea in a rare gesture.
Yan Ge glanced at Xu Kai helplessly. “Let’s talk about that later. Both of you were implicated this time and Yuchen and I feel guilty. So, let me ask you, are you interested in cultivation? We have a set of techniques we can pass on to both of you. However, the spiritual energy on Earth is becoming scarcer. Even if you have talent, your future cultivation won’t be particularly high. Of course, once you succeed in cultivation, living two or three hundred years won’t be a problem. If you’re not interested in cultivation, we’ll give each of you a pendant. These pendants are engraved with protective formations so wearing them will shield you from fatal accidents three times.” The “three times” was already a lot and Yan Ge didn’t dare to give Xu Kai and He Xin something too valuable as holding a precious treasure could be a burden. If Xu Kai and He Xin couldn’t protect the pendants adequately and someone discovered their unique effects, it might bring disaster.
Xu Kai and He Xin’s emotions had calmed down slightly but on hearing Yan Ge’s words, they became excited again. Their minds were in a jumble, seeming to think of many things and nothing at the same time.
“You can think about it slowly,” Huangfu Yuchen said, “but these techniques can only be passed on to both of you.” Earth’s cultivation forces weren’t as singular as those in Great Han. Passing on the techniques to too many people could easily lead to trouble.
Yan Ge’s hand found its way beneath the table to grasp Huangfu Yuchen’s. Huangfu Yuchen’s consideration really warmed his heart.
At this moment, the waiter brought in the dishes.
Yan Ge patted Xu Kai’s shoulder. “Let’s focus on eating first.”
Though Xu Kai and He Xin weren’t in the mood to eat, their empty stomachs spoke otherwise. They picked at their food unconsciously while lost in thought. While this recent ordeal was because of Yan Ge, the three of them had been brothers for many years, and since no one was harmed, Xu Kai and He Xin didn’t blame him. However, they understood that Yan Ge must be feeling incredibly guilty, and even if they declined his compensation, he would surely find another way to make up for it. Furthermore, it was undeniable that both of these choices were intriguing.
Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen didn’t interrupt their contemplation. They ate their meal attentively, engaging in light conversation.
By the time they finished their food, Xu Kai and He Xin had only managed to eat half of their rice bowls and remained deeply absorbed in thought.
Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen refrained from rushing them. Fresh fruit was brought in, and the two of them moved to the nearby sofa, turned on the TV, and lowered the volume.
After about ten minutes, Xu Kai was the first to break the silence, asking a question, “Can this jade pendant only be worn by one person?”
He Xin looked at Yan Ge too.
Yan Ge was momentarily taken aback, then responded, “It can be worn by different individuals.”
A sense of relief and delight spread across Xu Kai’s face. “I want the jade pendant. I’ll have my son wear it for a year, then my wife for a year, and they’ll take turns…” With that, he nudged the stool’s leg closer to the table with his foot, scooped some vegetables into his bowl, and began to eat heartily.
Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen exchanged a glance, unsurprised by his choice. Xu Kai had many connections to the non cultivator world, and even if he embarked on the path of cultivation, he couldn’t fully devote himself or make significant progress. He was a clever man.
The confusion in He Xin’s eyes faded away, replaced by relief. He smiled slightly at Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen, and made up his mind, “I want the jade pendant too.”
With He Xin and Xu Kai readjusting their mindsets, the odd atmosphere in the private room returned to normal.
The four of them engaged in relaxed conversation about other topics, and concluded the meal—whether it could be considered lunch or dinner—on a cheerful note.
Huangfu Yuchen took two identical jade pendants from his storage ring and handed them to Xu Kai and He Xin.
“They’re so beautiful, obviously high-quality items,” Xu Kai praised as he stroked the jade pendant. He also expressed gratitude.
“Are they exac the same?” He Xin compared the two pendants. “What if someone misunderstands and thinks that my little princess is betrothed to Xu Kai’s notorious demon king? What then?”
Yan Ge burst into laughter, collapsing onto Huangfu Yuchen’s shoulder. “Hahaha… You really do think a lot!”
Xu Kai shot He Xin a fierce glare. “How can my son not be good enough for your daughter?”
He Xin ignored him and turned to Huangfu Yuchen. “Can you change the appearance of the jade pendant?”
“Sure.” Huangfu Yuchen fought back a smile as he took the jade pendant. He infused a trace of spiritual energy into it, and the patterns on the pendant changed in shape and color.
He Xin finally revealed a satisfied expression and carefully placed it in his pocket. “Thank you.”
Xu Kai was fuming. From the corner of his eye, he saw some soup left in a dish. He discreetly pressed his palm into it and then casually patted He Xin’s back. A greasy light-red handprint appeared on He Xin’s gray-white vest. “I’ll bring my son to your house tomorrow.”
He Xin remained composed. “I’ll have my wife take our little princess to her grandmother’s house tomorrow.”
Xu Kai chuckled without saying much, discreetly wiping his hands under the table.
He Xin was puzzled, but didn’t think much of it.
As the two bid their farewells, Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen looked at the handprint on He Xin’s clothes and barely contained their amusement.
Xu Kai smirked, turned his head, and wagged his finger at the two before striding ahead confidently.
Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen escorted them out of the restaurant, then paused, not wanting to be subjected to the same teasing as He Xin.
He Xin was quite perceptive. Seeing Xu Kai chuckling continuously and people passing by giving him odd looks, he suddenly understood. He chased after Xu Kai to beat him up and Xu Kai took off running.
